Bands/Musicians The Best Dark Metal Bands

Mixing elements of gothic metal, black metal, doom metal and extreme metal, dark metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that uses verbal images of horror and violence in the lyrics. While there's no firm definition of what is exactly a dark metal band, groups generally have dark themes with someone even having lyrics about the occult. That's why you see some dark metal bands flashing the infamous devil horns sign at shows, which has become synonymous with heavy metal bands.

So, what is the best dark metal band? Any list of dark metal bands must have Bethlehem at or near the top of the list. Widely considered one of the forefathers of dark metal, Bethlehem is credited for inventing the term dark metal and for that, all dark metal bands owe them a debt of gratitude. Other bands who are considered the top dark metal bands include Moonspell, Eisregen, Ajattara and Samael. If you're a dark metal fan, you definitely know everyone on this dark metal list. If you notice that one of your favorite dark metal bands isn't on this list, feel free to add them.

That said, it's up to you to determine what are the best dark metal bands. GIve a thumbs up for your favorite dark metal band, and vote down the dark metal band you don't think is as good as the others. This list answers the questions "who are the best dark metal bands of all time?" and "who is the greatest dark metal musician ever?"If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular dark metal bands that you might've heard of. (41 items)